One of my favorite sights in Italy is the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. It is incredible. It was built of white marble, and it stands 196 feet high. I once climbed all 296 steps to the top. My legs felt like jelly. I’m glad I did it, but there’s no way I would try that again.
The construction of the bell tower began in August of 1173. Work continued for two hundred years, with several interruptions.
But something wasn’t quite right. The ground in the area was muddy. In fact, the word “Pisa” comes from a Greek word that means “marshy ground.”
So, the tower started to lean 5.5 degrees. They attempted to fix the tower by making the higher, additional stories slightly taller on the shorter side, but the extra stone work caused the tower to sink even more. The foundation needed to be deeper and stronger.
The tower was finally stabilized with a massive engineering operation that took place in the 1990s.
Jesus told an important parable about the importance of building our lives upon a solid foundation. You can read it in Matthew 7: 24-27.
Think about this question: How solid is the foundation in your life today? Scripture teaches that we can find this solid foundation by trusting in Christ. We can build on it by going to church on a regular basis. We can build on it by reading God’s Word each day and by praying regularly. We can build on it by serving others.
Where can we find a solid foundation? The hymn writer said it well, “On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.”